Machine construction



Sept. 1, 1936.

E. C. BOSS MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Sept. 1, 1936. E. c. BOSS 2,052,600

MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed April .20, 19:53 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z ENTOR Sept. 1, 1936. B055 2,052,600

MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 NNNNNN OR Filed April 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INV ENTOR Sept. 1, 1936. E. c. 5055 I MACHINE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1953 5 Sheets$heet 5 0 5 J m w 2 ny x w Q 1 H 4 a WIIQII Q m Z 4 a m w 1 o 10 7 5 3 H M w 1 m Patented Sept. 1 1936 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of small machines and the like. and is for an improvement in the assembly of such machines whereby various types of machines can be constructed from a set of standard parts, or one machine comprised of such parts converted into another by the use of such parts.

There has been a growing use of various types of small machines in small work shops, and particularly work shops in the home, and a considerable demand for machines, such as woodworking machines, that can be sold in the form of separate pieces to be put together by the purchaser, enabling the purchaser, with an initial set of parts, to add a piece from time to time and gradually increase his available equipment. Such machines as are sold in knock-down form in this manner at the present time are open to the objection that each machine for performing a particular operation has a frame, usually a casting, which is peculiar to that machine alone, and parts for one machine cannot readily be adapted or con verted to use in other types of machines.

A further objection to such machines is that they are essentially a cheap reproduction of more expensive and larger machines without the accuracy and high quality of machine that obtains in the better and more expensive equipment. Such equipment has been subject to the further limitation that it can only work in a limited range of movement and cannot, for special cases, be increased to take care of larger pieces of work.

It is further characteristic of practically all machines that their frames are made essentially of special castings useful for one machine and one machine only. This is particularly true of machines in the metal-working field. The result of this is that the machines are quite expensive,

and the cost of certain special machines is such that it is prohibitive for a small shop to do certain kinds of work for which it has only a very limited demand.

The present invention contemplates a new type of construction in which all types of machines are constructed from a primary set of parts, the same parts being convertible to use in a wide number of ways so that with a given number of such positions, the machines constructed therefrom are essentially accurate and properly aline'd. The parts, moreover, are adapted to the construction of machines adjustable over a wide range of dimensions. For instance, a wood-turning lathe 5 constructed from parts embodying my idea may be extended from a length of a few inches to a length of a great many feet and can have a swing which is adjustable according to the diameter of the work to be operated upon. That is to say, 10 a lathe constructed from these parts may have a normal free swing of four inches, but for special operations can be quickly and easily arranged to accommodate a piece requiring a clear swing of eight or twelve inches, or whatever the dimension 15 may be, within reasonable limits.

The invention further contemplates a type of machine construction which obviates the requirement for special castings for machines intended to perform a special kind of work and in which certain standard pieces can be assembled to provide machines for doing practically all kinds of work. For instance, with the present invention automatic gear cutting machines have been constructed and operated from the same parts which 5 are used in the construction of a drill press, a wood-turning lathe, and numerous less complicated machines, the present invention reducing the design of any kind of machine for cutting or turning or drilling wood or metal or other mate- 30 rials to standard parts, eliminating the requirement for special castings for each particular machine, and making the cost of such special machines within the price range of the average small shop which has only a small amount of work to be done on a particular machine.

The invention has the further advantage that since it comprises the use of primarily similar parts throughout, these parts can be made very cheaply, and a person can acquire additional parts from time to time with very little expense.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the basic element about which my invention is made;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the element reduced to itsshortest usable length in which there are only two holes;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a three-hole element;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing a four-hole element;

Figure'5' is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1

showing the embodiment of the element of Fig. 1 in its preferred form;

Figure 6 illustrates a simple assembly of a three-hole unit on a rod merely for the purpose of illustration;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a flanged element which is used in the construction. of the machines either as a base member or as a pulley, hub, or as a face plate; I

Figure 8 is an assemblyview of a simple woodsembled in accordance with my invention; and

Figure 14 is a front elevation of a portion 'of Fig. 13.

Reduced to its simplest form, the invention makes use of assembly units having regularly positioned holes therethrough which are accurately positioned and accurately machined, the holes passing through the unit in two different planes which intersect in a line extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the unit. Simple embodiments of the basic units are shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and in Fig. 1.1 designates a substantially square length of material. preferably steel or cast iron. Through this unit there are bored two series of holes, the-holes of one series being designated 3 and those of the other series being designated 4. The holes 3 are spaced regular distances apart, and the holes 4 are spaced regular distances apart, and preferably the holes 4 are alternated between the holes 3. Holes Sand 4 extend in a direction at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the body 2, and they are preferably at right angles to each other. Each of the holes is provided with some kind of clamping means whereby when a shaft having a working fit within one of the holes 3 or 4 is passed through the hole, it may be left free to rotate or it may be clamped against longitudinal or rotative :movement.

As one simple means for clamping the shaft or other element passing through the holes, there are small tapped holes 5 passing through the body 2 and intersecting the holes 3 and 4, there being one tapped hole at right angles to each hole '3, and one tapped hole at right angles to each hole ,4. These holes are adapted to receive set screws or bolts, as indicated at 6. T

The unit 2 can be furnished as a long piece, and it can be divided into shorter pieces having any number of desired holes. In Fig. 1 the dotted lines A-A and 3-8 represent possible lines of division for dividing the member 2 into sections of different lengths.

The smallest useful unit is shown in Fig. 2 in which the block 1 has one hole 3 and one hole 4. The next sized unit is shownin Fig. 3 in which the block 8 has two holes 3 and a single hole 4. Fig. 4 shows a still longer section, designated 9, having two holes 3 and two holes 4. In like manner sections can be developed up to any length retance between centers of'the holes 3 and the distance between centers of the holes 4 is always the same, can be constructed, and with the use of shafts of different lengths, machines of various kinds and for various classes of work, can be assembled, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The holes 3 or the holes 4 mayprovide bearings for'rotating or reciprocating shafts, or they may provide sockets for fixed shafts or rods forming part of the frame of the machine.

In order to reduce the weight of the sections and make them easier to handle, the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is, however, preferably -used.

Fig. 5 illustrates a unit corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1, in which there is an elongated body It) having a series of sleeve portions ll formed thereon which are at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body and which are uniformly spaced and which have holes or bores l2 therethrough. Alternating with the sleeves II are corresponding sleeves l3 which are also at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body and which are preferably at right angles to the sleeve portions H, the sleeves l3 having bores l4 therethrough. Each sleeve element H and I3 has a tapped hole is for the accommodation of a set screw or bolt. The unit shown in Fig. 5 is essentially the same as the unit shown in Fig. l in that it can be divided into smaller units having two, three, four or more holes, as desired, the dotted lines A' and B'-B' designating possible lines of division.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 5 is of advantage over the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 in that the sleeve portions II and I3 provide relatively long bearing surfaces for shafts or rods passing therethrough, while the section of solid metal connecting the respective sleeve portions is relatively smaller. This effects a considerable saving in the weight of the material. The structure shown in Fig. 5 can be cast in any practical length, but the holes or bores l2 and I4 should be accurately machined so that the axes of the holes l2 are all parallel and the axes of the holes I4 are all parallel. It is important that a fair degree of accuracy be maintained in maintaining the parallel relation of the axes of the holes 12 and M in order to provide a universal interchangeability of parts.

Fig. 6 illustrates in a simple way the basic combination of a single unit and a single piece of shafting, and it is on this combination of parts that the various machines hereinafter described and numerous others are constructed. The unit l6 having two sleeve portions II and a single sleeve portion I3 is shown with a length of shaft "passing through the sleeve IS, the shaft l I having a close working fit within the sleeve. If the shaft I1 is to rotate or reciprocate in the H sleeve 13 no set screw is placed in the hole l5, and the hole I5 in this case forms an oil hole.

or in sets of a number of pieces from which various machines may be constructed and for which additional pieces may from time to time be secured. A set of elements for the construction of machines comprises numerous units having a diflerent number of holes or sleeves and numerous pieces of shafting similar to the shafting II. It may further include a number of flanged elements similar to that illustrated in Fig. 7. The element shown in Fig. 7 comprises a hub portion l8 having a tapped hole l9 therein to receive a setscrew. (not shown) and having abore 24 capable of receiving the shafting H. The hub carries a flange 2| which preferably has a grooved periphery 22. Through the flange there are holes Gil Referring now to Fig. 8,. I have shown one simple form of lathe for wood-turning work constructed with units of the class previously described. This lathe is merely illustrative of one of several ways in which a lathe can be assembled from parts embodying this invention. In Fig. 8 the bed of the lathe comprises 2 rods or shafts 25 similar to the shafting l1 shown in Fig. 6. These rods are held in fixed parallel relation by a unit 28, having altogether five sleeve portions three of which are upright and two of which are horizontal. The central vertical sleeve portion 21 carries a post 28. The two vertical end sleeve portions 29 carry short downwardly extending posts 30, these posts being received in the hub portions of flanged elements 3| corresponding to the units shown in detail in Fig. 7. These units can be screwed to the table on which the lathe is set by screws 32 passing through the holes 23. The parallel rods. 25 pass through the two horizontal sleeves of the unit 25. At the opposite end of the lathe bed the rods 25 are held in parallel spaced relation by a three-sleeve unit 33 having two horizontal sleeves, and a central vertical sleeve 34 in which is-a post 35, this post also setting in one of the flanged elements, designated 36 and corresponding to the unit shown in Fig. 7. On the head stock end of the rods 25 there is another three-sleeve unit 31 having two horizontal sleeves for engaging the rods 25, and having a vertical sleeve portion for receiving a post as. The head stock of the lathe is provided with similar to the unit shown in Fig. 7. .A fixed rod or shaft 44 passing through the horizontal sleeve elements 45 of the units 39 and 40 serves merely as a bracing connection. The element 43 provides a pulley for rotating the shaft 4| andalso provides a means for preventing longitudinal movement of this shaft, and a turning center 45 is shown on the inner end of this shaft. The tool rest comprises a two-sleeve unit 41 having the horizontal sleeve'portion engaging one of the rods 25 and having the vertical sleeve portion supporting a post 48 on which is a tool rest 49.

The tail stock of the lathe comprises a threesleeve unit the two horizontal sleeve units of which engage the rods 25 and the central sleeve unit of which supports a vertical post 5|. Near the top of the post 5| is a two-sleeve portion unit 52 the vertical sleeve of which engages the post 5| and the horizontal sleeve of which supports a length of shaft 53 which is tapered to a point at its inner end to provide a center.

All of the set screws designated 54 are permanently tightened after the machine is assembled and set so as to be horizontal, thus making a rigid framework for all parts where there is to be no rotating or sliding movement. The set screw 55 in the tail stock can be tightened or loosened.

for moving the center toward or away from the head stock. The set screws 58 in the tail stock unit 50 can be tightened or loosened for sliding post, and the set screw 53 can be loosened or tightened for adjusting the tool rest 48 up or down.

The whole structure can be set up in only a'few moments time for thereason that all horizontal sleeves come exactly into line'and all vertical sleeves are equally distant from the horizontal sleeves. actly the same as the units 33 and 31. It is not possible for the shaft 4| to be out of either vertical or horizontal alinement because the posts 28 and 38 have to be exactly parallel, and the fit between the sleeve portions and the posts is close and the bearings are relatively long ones, so that the members 39 and 40 have to be exactly parallel. If the members 39 and 40 are not in proper vertical alinement, the shaft 4| will not go through the sleeve portions 42 of the members 39 and 40, so that it is a very easy matter to quickly adjust the members 39 and 40 to the same vertical height.

Having secured the shaft 4| to the proper vertical height, it is then a very easy matter to slide the tail stock 50 up toward the head stock, and by removing the center shaft 53 in the tail stock, and then turning the center 46 from the shaft 4|, the end of the shaft 4| can be projected into the horizontal sleeve of the tail stock unit 52 for getting the member 52 at exactly the right vertical height. When it is at the exact vertical height, the set screws are tightened to hold it in this position and the tail stock can be slid; back to the position shown in Fig. 8 and the center 53 inserted. Thus with this simple arrangement of parts the rods 25 for the bed are kept parallel, the posts 28, 33 and 5| are parallel, and the bearlugs for the shaft 4| are necessarily lined up.

7 Instead of using the member 46 as a turning center, this member can be removed and one of the flanged elements similar to that shown in Fig. 7 can be put on the shaft 4| and used as a face Plate.

This construction for a lathe permits of several unique advantages. In the first place, the bed of the lathe can be of an indefinite length, depending on the length of the parallel rods 25. A person possessing the parts can normally use them in a short lathe, but when he desires for a particular piece-of work an exceptionally long lathe, he needs merely to substitute longer rods 25. It is of course possible where the length is so great that there may be some spring to use other pieces similar to the pieces 33 and 31 to tie the rods together intermediate their ends and different ele ments 41 can be used for supporting the tool posts at different places along the length of the lathe bed.

The sliding tail stock unit 50 is just ex- A further important advantage is that the by using a larger diameter of shaft, the sleeve rods 28-. and 3.8 and of the tail stocksupport 8i. It is merely necessary in increasing the swing of the lathe forthe operator to use some discretion In the depth of the cut or the speed of the feed of the cutting. tool. As the diameter increases and there is more tendency for spring to develop, the out should be relatively lighter. The invention thus provides a lathe which is adjustable to accommodate a considerable variationin swing, and

if the posts 28, 88 and as shown in Fig. 8, are not long enough, obviously longer ones can be used, and where precaution. has to be taken against springing, it will be seen that additional parts may be readily added at diiferent places to shaft 83. This shaft in turn supports another two-sleeve element 64, the vertical sleeve portion of which carries a. short post 65 having a tool rest 88 at the top thereof. On the post 6| above the unit 62 is another two-sleeve unit 81, the vertical sleeve of which receives the upper end of the post 6| and the horizontal sleeve of which receives a hollow sleeve 68, which sleeve has an outside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the post BI and which is formed of a bearing metal, and through this is passed a shaft 69 of small diameter supporting a driving pulley 18 and a grinding wheel 1 I. It will be obvious that 88 can be omitted and the shaft have its hearing directly in the horizontal sleeve element of the unit 61. This entire machine is constructed from simpletwo-sleeve units corresponding exactly to the two-sleeve units 41 and 52 used-in the lathe shown in Figure 8.

Figs-10, 11,and 12 show onemethod of. constructing a jig-saw from pieces embodying this invention. The jig-saw is of the type in which the saw blade is moved down by the operation of a crank and is lifted by the action of a spring. The frame is made up of a number of three-hole elements 88 and two-hole elements 88 which support vertical posts 8| and horizontal posts 82. The lowermost elements 88 show a slight modification which may be adopted where it is desired to use the construction elements for base members as well as for spacing and supporting mem- -bers, in that the, sleeves which lie in a horizontal plane may be cast with integral feet portions 83. Also the frame includes one four-hole unit 88a.

In Fig. 10 two of the lowermost units 88 have these feet portions 83, while the other two do not. This assembly illustrates a further advantage of my invention in which it is shown-how some of the sleeve units may be provided with bushings where it is desired to use rods which are of smaller diameter than the rods 82 or 81. For instance. the two-element unit 84 at the end of the uppermost horizontal arm 82 is shown as having a bushing 85 through the vertical sleeve in which the small rod 88 surrounded'by the compression spring for lifting the saw blade 81 passes. Likewise, the other two-element unit on the free end of the arm 82 has its vertical sleeve 88 provided with a split bushing 89 for adjustably clamping the saw guide 98. Where the bushing,

such as the bushing-89, is intended to adjustably :clamp the rod, such as the rod 98, it is a split bushing, but where'the bushing is intended to provide a bearing for a shaft, as in the case of the bushing 85, it is a continuous bushing. The saw table III is shown as being supported on one of the flanged elements 92 similar to the single element shown in Fig. '1.

This flanged unit is carried at the top of the vertically adjustable post 83 and received in 10 alined vertical sleeves in one of the three-element units 88 and one four-element unit 88a. At

94 I have again shown a bushing inside a sleeve for accommodating the reciprocating rod 95. At

96 there is a two-element unit the same as the two-element units previously described, but of thenext smaller size. This provides means for reciprocating the rod 95 and also provides a means for holding the pin 91 to which the connecting rod 88 is attached. A two-element unit-89 -on-a vertical post I88 serves to-support a drive shaft I8I having a pulley I82 atone end and a crank I83 at its other end. The crank I83 and the connecting rod 98 may be supplied with a construction set to enable persons using the apparatus to have a simple way of securing a reciprocating motion in any machine which they desire to assemble.

In Fig.- 12 there is shown a slight modification in which the saw table can be tilted at various angles. In this arrangement there is a twosleeve unit I84. The vertical sleeve is on a supporting post I85, corresponding to post 93 of Figs. 10 and 11, while the horizontal sleeve carries a short shaft'i86 passing through a single flanged sleeve element I81 to which the table I88, corresponding to the table 9| of Fig. '11, is secured. This embodiment of 'the invention illustrates merely another adaptation to which the construction units comprising alternating vertical and horizontal rigidly connected sleeve portions can be adapted.

Merely for the-purpose of further illustration I--have shown a drillpress in Figs. 13 and 14'. The drill press comprises a vertical post I I8 supported inone of the flanged discs I II. It carries a five-element sleeve unit II2 near its bottom, a similar intermediate element H3 and an upper six elementsleeve unit H4. The rearmost hori-. zontal sleeve .of the element II4, designated II4a, provides .a support for a shaft II5 for idler pul-. leys ,II6, only one of which is shown. The forwardmost vertical sleeve of the element II4, designated II 4b, is provided with an internal sleeve or bushing H1. The corresponding alining porvided with a similar bushing II8, these bushings providing bearings for the vertical spindle II8.

An intermediate sleeve portion I I 3a of the element I I3 supports a rock shaft I28 having links I2I thereon for imparting motion through other links, "2120 a yoke I23 between collars I24 on the spindle II8, By-reason of this arrangement the shaft I28 can be rocked through the handle I25 to move the spindle up and. down. The table for the drill press is supported in alinement with the spindle by the element II2, the outermost vertical sleeve of which is shown as being provided with a shaft I28, at the top of which is secured a flanged element I21 forming the table for the drill press.- It is to be noted that the driving pulley I28, idler 6, table I21 and base I I I are alike and each comprises one flanged element as shown in Fig. 7. k

It will be-seen that the entire drillpress is thus assembled from parts on which the present invention is based and that proper alinement is secured by reason of the fact that the sleeve elements are'universally interchangeable. Such parts as the collars, connecting links, and cranks are of very simple construction and can be made very cheaply to sell with the other interchangeable sleeve elements.

Figs. 13 and 14 also show the sleeve elements of the castings H2, H3, and H4 with holes having a larger diameter but with the same spacing between centers as those shown in Figs. 8 and 9. This applies particularly inelements where it is desired to use relatively larger shafts with the same distance between centers. It has a disadvantage over that form of construction illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 in that the multiple sleeve units cannot be cut down into units of a smaller number without sacrificing or cutting through one of the sleeves where the line of separation is made. For instance, as pointed out in Fig. 5, the multiple sleeve unit can be cut on the line A--A without mutilation of any sleeves, whereas an attempt made to cut, for instance, the long piece I M in Fig. 13, would necessitate the mutilation of one of the sleeves.

From the foregoing illustrations it will be seen that by using the alternately .bored elements as contemplated by this invention, a variety of machines can be constructed at very little cost and without the use of special castings to form the frame or other parts of the machine.

The sleeve blocks can be supplied to the customer either in relatively'long integral pieces which the customer or user can cut up to meet his own requirements, or they can be made available for sale in various lengths. Moreover, where lengths greater than the available commercial lengths are desired it willbe obvious that elements can be pieced together by overlapping corresponding sleeve portions of elements and putting a short length of rod through two or more registering sleeves.

The entire arrangement forms a unique and extremely flexible nature of machine design, eliminating the requirement for special castings for each difierent type of machine,enabling ma-' chines such as lathes to be adjustable, and en abling the shop operator to produce at a very low cost any special machine for doing a special piece of work.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that this is merely by way of illustration and that various modifications and changes may be made therein and that the few special machines herein specifically described are merely typical oi some of the more simple machines that can be constructed. It is of course contemplated that various lengths of'shafting and various alternately bored units together with some of the special parts such as the flanged discs and the connecting links "I and connecting rods I22 may be assembled into kits much the same as construction toys are now assembled into kits, whereby the purchaser of a kit may have suflicient parts to build various machines from the parts constituting the kit.

I claim:

1. A knock down machine frame comprising rod couplings forming end members, each end member having at least two parallel bores therethrough, the bores in one member being in line with the bores in the other member, parallel tie rods extending through the bores in the end members, means for securing the rods in the bores to form a-rectangular frame, bores extending through each of the end members at right angles to the first bores and centrally between the first mentioned bores, supporting rods in said bores, and means for securing said last mentioned rods in the bores.

2. A knock down machine tool frame formed of end rod couplings, each having two sets of bored openings therethrough, one set of openings being perpendicular to the other and in alternate relation to each other, parallel tie rods extending from one coupling to the other and through and secured in the openings in both of said couplings, and rods extending from and secured in the openings in the other set for supporting the couplings and machine elements, the different openings through each coupling being equally spaced from each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupling.

3. A knock down machine frame comprising a rod coupling at one end having two horizontal bores, a central vertical bore and two end vertical bores, a rod coupling at the other end having two horizontal bores, a pair of parallel tie rods extending from one coupling to the other through the horizontal bores therein, means for securing the rods in the bores in the end couplings, a central vertical bore in the last mentioned coupling, a supporting rod secured in said vertical bore, a supporting rod secured in each of the end vertical bores of the first coupling, and a machine element supporting coupling having two horizontal bores in engagement with the tie rods and having a vertical bore for a machine element supporting rod, all of the bores in the difierent couplings being of the same diameter and equally spaced from each other.

4. A rod coupling having at least five rod receiving openings extending therethrough and all of the same diameter, the axis of each open- .ing passing through the longitudinal axis of the coupling, the axes of three of the openings being parallel to each other and equally spaced'from each other, the other two openings being perpendicular to first mentioned three openings, each of the two openings being centrally located between two of the three first mentioned openings, and means for securing rods in each of said 'openings.

5. A knock down machine tool frame formed of end rod couplings, each having two sets of bored openings therethrough. one set of openings being perpendicular to the other and in alternate relation to each other, parallel tie rods extending from one coupling to the other and through and secured in the openings in both of said couplings, rods extending from and secured in the openings in the other set for supporting the couplings and machine elements, the difl'erent openings through each coupling being equally spaced from each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupling, and additional couplings carried by said rods also having equally spaced openings therein perpendicular to each other and supporting. rods or shafts to be parallel with or perpendicular to said first rods.

EDWARD C. BOSS. 

